However, one drawback to the Kinect (aside from the fact that movement is required) is that it doesn’t work well in small spaces. Enter the Nyko Zoom. Nyko’s Zoom allows you to get closer to your Kinect if you happen to live in a small apartment or have your Xbox in a small room.

The device originally had an August 13 release date, then August 23, but it looks like they are not going to make either of those dates. Amazon and Gamestop both have the Zoom’s launch now listed as September 13. A month isn’t all that bad though. I’m sure many of us won’t mind sitting it out in the meantime.

[via Joystiq]

If you have a small room, the Zoom for Kinect will reduce the distance you need to stand back from the Kinect by up to 40%. The Zoom needs no drivers or power to operate. The device has a ship date of August 23 and as of now; you can pre-order it at Amazon.

Amazon is selling the device for $29.99 (USD). You can also pre-order at other retailers or just wait until the 23 of the month and you might be able to find it in retail stores. I suspect this will be a very popular accessory for Kinect fans.

The 3DS sits nearly flush in the top of the Nyko Play Clock and I guess you can play the 3DS while it is in the dock if you want to. The dock is compatible with the standard Nintendo 3DS battery. The charger is also compatible with the Nyko PowerPack+ accessory.

The Play Clock has an alarm and will wake you from the input of your choice. The speakers in the dock are powered and you can listen to local AM/FM stations and you can plug in MP3 players via a line in port. It sells for $39.99 (USD) and should ship soon. What do you think? Is an alarm clock for your game console going too far?

If you want to use your Kinect in a smaller space, what you need is the new Zoom Play Range Reduction Lens for Kinect from Nyko. This is a slip on lens contraption for your Kinect that allows you to play 40% closer to the TV and still have accurate tracking with the Kinect. That is perfect and will let me stand in roughly the center of the room when I play the Kinect with my kids.

There is no software needed and Nyko claims that you don’t have to adjust the device to use it. The Zoom clips to the Kinect to stay in place when it moves around. You can pick the Zoom up for $29.99(USD) and actually start using the Kinect if your room is too small for the thing right out of the box.

Nyko’s Intercooler STS was made to work exclusively with the black Xbox 360 Slim. It has a temperature sensor that makes the fan only run when you actually need it, and power comes directly from the Xbox’s USB ports. It blends in pretty nicely with the look of the Xbox 360 too.

The Intercooler STS is currently available for $20 (USD), so it’s not that much to pay to have peace of mind during a marathon gaming session.

[via CrunchGear]

With all of that throwing and flailing your arms around, it’s certain that at some point in time your Wii-mote will break. That’s why Nyko is offering their Wand+, a Wii-mote replacement which sells for about $40 (USD). The Wand + features a rubberized trigger, more ergonomic D-pad, and larger 1/2 buttons than a stock Wii-mote – and the button are square instead of round. It comes in white, black, blue, purple and pink if color is important to you.

The Type Pad is an attachment, which will be useful for those of you who browse their web or write lots of text messages via their Wiis. It’s a QWERTY keypad which works well, but looks funky.

It works with the Wii-mote or the Wand+. An interesting side note: it doesn’t need any extra batteries, and will feed off your Wii-mote’s juice.

The Charge Base Quad will let you charge four controllers at the same time, either Wand+ or Wii-motes. Direct contact isn’t needed to start charging, so you won’t have to remove your Wii-mote out of its gel casing. It comes with an extra USB port to charge whatever you want. It will sell for $50.

Finally, there’s the  Perfect Shot light gun for your Wii. Not much to say about that, except that it’s great for killing things. It’s $15 bucks.

[via CrunchGear]

Those concerned with the smooth aesthetic of the DSi need not apply, either. But if you can get past the look of your system, this accessory is sure to improve the look of your pictures. For $24.99, DSi owners can add an 8x zoom lens to this case (or detach it and just use the case). Nyko is promoting the attachment as perfect for social networking enthusiasts, but the case has a certain amount of spy-tech style, too. Useful… if you can fit it into your pocket!

[via Joystiq]

Nyko’s new Wireless Nunchuk (or Nunchuck if you’re not using the proper Nintendo nomenclature) controller lets you play games that require both the Wii-mote and Nunchuk to operate completely without the annoying cable between the controllers. The $30 wireless controller works just like the one Nintendo includes, but transmits its signal to an adapter that snaps on to the bottom of your Wii-mote.

Expect the Nyko Wireless Nunchuk to hit stores sometime later in Q1 2008.

[via CrunchGear]

It’s hard to describe the Party Station. Think of the $25 accessory as a “plugged in” party tray. Sure, it’s got all the usual storage for your Wii-motes and Nunchuks, but that’s not where the “party” comes into play. The accessory offers such whimsical features as a hand-cooling fan to dry sweaty palms, LED readouts for tracking individual scores, four cupholders that can cool your drinks, and a place for your chips and dip.

Just add party hats and favors and you’re ready to go!

[via IGN via Gizmodo]

The $25 Intercooler for PlayStation 3 features a whopping FIVE additional fans, and wraps around the back, bottom and side of your PS3, making the mammoth console just that much larger, and ruining the console’s virtually silent operation.

While overheating has been a huge issue for Xbox 360 consoles, I’ve heard virtually no reports of heat issues with the PlayStation 3, due to its superior cooling design. I suppose if you’re paranoid, or expect to place your PS3 in a very confined location, supplemental cooling couldn’t hurt, but to me it seems like overkill.

If you think I’m wrong, or if you’ve had heat problems with your PlayStation 3, I’d love to hear from you. But for now, I’ll stick to my stock version.

Filling a void in both Nintendo’s and Sony’s product lines, the docks allow you to neatly recharge your controllers without unsightly cables running between the controllers and the consoles. Since the PS3′s controllers are already rechargeable, all you need to do is drop the controllers into Charge Base PS3 and go. The PS3 version can hold and charge up to 4 controllers at once. The Wii version holds two controllers and includes two NiMH rechargeable battery packs that also have a nice rubberized backing, presumable to improve your grip on the Wii-mote.

Pricing and release dates are still forthcoming.

[via Joystiq via Engadget]

The first Microsoft rep stated that the device simply drains too much power from the 360. He explained that the console requires a specific amount of power, especially during startup, and that everything was built to supply the machine with the power it needs. The Intercooler drains a bit of that power right from the start, so the console is now getting less juice. Especially during the startup of the system, explained the rep, this can cause problems as the 360 is trying to supply electricity to all its parts and somewhere along the line won

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